Author: Europe correspondent

journalist

#Brexit: from #EU to #EFTA

Uncategorized

Oslo

“It’s easy to see some advantages of British membership. It’s a big country with a big economy,” – said Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg,  seeing some advantages if Britain joined the four-nation European Free Trade Association (EFTA) after quitting the EU, qualifying past doubts about British membership.

One option could be to join EFTA, which Britain helped found but quit to enter the EU in 1973, though it is far from clear that is a path that Britain wants to follow.

However Solberg cited farming as one example of a possible conflict of interest. Britain exported food and drink worth 18 billion pounds ($24 billion) in 2015 while Norway imposes high import barriers to protect farmers in a country that stretches into the Arctic.

(source: Reuters)

#Burkini: #EU debate needed

Uncategorized

The burkini debate is not about the ‘modest’ swimwear for shy wives, but about core principle of European democracy based on gender equality entering  ideological clash with Islam law, declaring submission of woman to man.

Mass migration crisis in France is at the top of political agenda, while the burkini ban is one of the ‘cosmetic’ concessions the ruling Socialists are prepared to make  attempting to calm down the growing discontent of citizens with the massive influx of wild migration from Maghreb, and sub-Saharan Africa imposing their values and lifestyle.
However the ‘burking ban’ as such is not a remedy from the profound problems of the EU societies unable to cope with growing pressure from Muslim migrant communities imposing ideas of the  7th century on to modern urban environments. 
The significance of the ‘burkini ban’ is in attempt of modern democracies to contemplate on incompatibility of Islam with values of European civilisation.

Burkini 3